Base de datos histórica sobre gasto público social y revisión de sus principales tendencias (1950-2008)

This paper describes the compilation of an annual database on public expenditure on education, health and social security and other fiscal variables. It covers 32 upper and upper-middle income countries, between 1950 and 2008. The total includes 8 Latin American countries. The database was constructed by bringing together other datasets and information from original sources. A first approach to the trends described by the data shows that the rise in social public expenditure has been especially dynamic after the Second World War and, though GDP per capita plays a key role, it cannot totally explain its level. It also suggests that the relations between social expenditure and other fiscal variables are different depending on the countries' income and that in the Latin American case there are special features in terms of public debt interests, public debt and fiscal balances.